“Lina…” Li Miaozheng exclaimed in shock, supporting the arm of the little dark-skinned girl from the Southern Frontier to prevent her from collapsing to the ground.
At the same time, the Heavenly Sect’s Holy Maiden, with her basic medical knowledge, took Lina’s pulse to assess the situation.
The pulse was extremely violent and chaotic. Inside Lina’s body, there seemed to be a mass of chaotic energy that could explode at any moment.
“It’s… it’s the Seven Fatal Gu…” Lina said, her brows furrowed and her pretty face contorted in pain, her lips turning pale. She continued haltingly:
“It’s a very powerful Gu. Grandma Sky Gu gave it to me. To prevent losing it, I… I swallowed it. I didn’t expect this Gu to be so powerful. It’s different from other Gu.”
Chu Yuanzhen, Li Miaozheng, and Master Hengyuan looked at Lina with complex expressions.
She dares to put anything in her stomach!
Hengyuan stood up and walked towards the door: “I’ll go find Song Qing, no, Yang Qianhuan, no, I’ll find…”
As he spoke, the master seemed a bit confused.
Chu Yuanzhen sighed: “Just find any white-robed scholar.”
Master Hengyuan immediately nodded and pushed open the door to leave.
Any white-robed scholar would be more reliable than the Censor-in-Chief’s direct disciples.
Shortly after, a young white-robed scholar entered confidently. By this time, Lina was rolling on the ground in pain, her lower abdomen alternately swelling and deflating, like a balloon constantly inflating and deflating.
Is she pregnant? The young white-robed scholar wondered to himself as he bent down to check Lina’s pulse. His expression changed.
“How is it?” Chu Yuanzhen asked.
“There’s something inside this young lady’s body. It’s awakening. It’s best to remove it quickly, or she might die,” the white-robed scholar gave his professional opinion.
“Thank you for your trouble, sir,” Li Miaozheng cupped her hands in gratitude.
“Oh, I’m afraid I can’t help with that,” the white-robed scholar spread his hands. “I haven’t studied the ‘Anatomy Classic’ yet. This field of study is most advanced under Senior Brother Song. If you want to learn, it’s best to seek his guidance. But the alchemists led by Senior Brother Song have widespread mental issues.”
At this point, the white-robed scholar raised his chin, his tone tinged with mockery:
“I don’t want my brain to end up damaged like theirs. We’re not of the same ilk.”
Li Miaozheng and Chu Yuanzhen recalled the behavior of Song Qing and his group and deeply agreed. This young man also seemed to “despise” the actions of Song Qing and the others.
It seems the Department of Astronomy still has a majority of normal people… the two Heaven and Earth Society members thought. Then, Chu Yuanzhen asked:
“It sounds like there are different factions within your Department of Astronomy?”
The white-robed scholar nodded: “To be precise, each of the Censor-in-Chief’s direct disciples is responsible for teaching a group of disciples on behalf of the teacher. Well, Junior Sister Caiwei doesn’t need to teach disciples; she needs the disciples to teach her.”
Chu Yuanzhen and Li Miaozheng’s hearts sank: “Whose disciple are you?”
Hearing this, the young white-robed scholar raised his chin, turned around, and stared at the two with the back of his head: “Senior Brother Yang…”
Good riddance!
Chu Yuanzhen and Li Miaozheng chased him out.
…
Before speaking, the Censor-in-Chief built up suspense, leisurely finishing the wine in his cup before slowly saying:
“Do you know what the spirit of the dragon vein is?”
Xu Qi’an felt as if he was back in school, with the teacher tapping the blackboard and asking: “Do you know what calculus is?”
How would I know… He honestly shook his head, then, as if remembering something, said: “The combination of fortune and earth veins?”
This was the concept of dragon veins that Senior Sister Zhong Li had mentioned before.
The Censor-in-Chief nodded and said: “Dragon veins are the combination of fortune and earth veins. Unlike fortune, scholars have extremely limited control over them. This is why Zhendi hid in the dragon vein to conceal himself.
“In this world, only the Earth Book, that supreme treasure, can control dragon veins.”
Back then, the Earthly Sect’s leader used the Earth Book to build a teleportation formation under the dragon vein… Xu Qi’an suddenly realized. At the same time, he noticed the details in the Censor-in-Chief’s words.
Scholars had extremely limited control over dragon veins, not completely powerless.
The Censor-in-Chief continued:
“The spirit of the dragon vein has dispersed, scattered across the Central Plains. This symbolizes that the Central Plains are without a master. The current Great Shang is like a castle in the air, having lost the foundation of the dragon vein. The dynasty will be on the verge of collapse shortly.”
Isn’t this explanation too abstract… Xu Qi’an frowned, and then he heard the Censor-in-Chief explain:
“The dragon qi is scattered across the land. Those who obtain it, if of pure heart, will become great heroes of their generation. Those with impure hearts will bring calamity to their regions. For example, they might gather bandits in the mountains or carve out their territories. Since ancient times, when a Central Plains dynasty’s fortune is about to run out, it’s always the jianghu that falls into chaos before the imperial court.”
Those who obtain dragon qi are like lower-configured versions of me? Perhaps even lower… Xu Qi’an easily understood the Censor-in-Chief’s meaning.
Possessing half of the nation’s fortune, he had grown rapidly, now at the Third Realm, becoming the renowned Xu Yinluo with skyrocketing prestige.
If a kind-hearted person obtained the dragon qi, they might do good deeds after rising to power. But if an unruly or malicious person got the dragon qi and rose to power, they would surely commit all sorts of evil.
The Central Plains will fall into chaos…
Thinking of this, Xu Qi’an couldn’t help but worry.
Emperor Yuanjing had cultivated for twenty-one years, and the common people’s lives were already difficult. Now it could be said to be adding frost to snow. It truly fulfilled that old saying:
In rise or fall, the common people always suffer.
The Censor-in-Chief suddenly turned around and said solemnly: “This is your karmic cause and effect.”
Xu Qi’an’s heart suddenly sank.
“You killed Zhendi, dispersed the spirit of the dragon vein, and half of the nation’s fortune is in your body. The weakening of the Great Shang is deeply entangled with your karma. If one day the dynasty falls, you, as the vessel carrying half of the nation’s fortune, will perish with it.
“Of course, at that time, as the Heavenly Mandate Master, my fate won’t be much better than yours.”
The Censor-in-Chief’s tone remained calm, but his steady gaze made Xu Qi’an realize the seriousness and reality of the situation.
“What should I do?” Xu Qi’an pinched the bridge of his nose.
Chu Caiwei glanced at him sympathetically, her big eyes moist and shimmering. Her slender, cool fingers massaged his brow, smoothing out the frown lines.
“Collect the scattered spirit of the dragon vein, piece it back together, and then bring it back to the capital. You must do this, not only because of the karmic relationship but also because you possess half of Great Shang’s fortune. You have a strong cohesive effect with the dragon qi, attracting each other.
“Moreover, you have a fragment of the Earth Book, which can help you extract the dragon qi from the targets and serve as a container. Later, I will teach you a set of incantations to use the Earth Book fragment to extract the dragon qi.”
“But teacher, he’s full of nails. Aren’t you going to remove them first?” Chu Caiwei poked Xu Qi’an’s chest, where there was a nail piercing straight through to his heart.
The Censor-in-Chief shook his head slightly: “These are the Buddhist treasure demon-sealing nails. Forcibly removing them would kill him. A specific secret method is needed.”
Hearing this, Xu Qi’an smiled bitterly, his slight hope instantly vanishing.
Thinking about it, it made sense. These things were meant to deal with Shen Shu, and given Shen Shu’s status, how could ordinary magical tools seal him?
It must be an extremely powerful treasure.
What a pity for all my cultivation… Xu Qi’an sighed.
“The demon-sealing nails can only seal Shen Shu temporarily, for a short twenty years or at most sixty years. Then Shen Shu will be able to break free from the seal. Otherwise, the Buddhist sect wouldn’t have sent him to Great Shang for sealing back then.”
The Censor-in-Chief said: “But you can’t wait that long, so this is the second thing I want to tell you.”
Xu Qi’an’s spirits lifted, his face showing joy: “Do you have a solution?”
He thought to himself: As expected of the Censor-in-Chief, with so many backup plans, making one feel at ease.
“I can’t undo the demon-sealing nails, but the Buddhist sect can.”
“The Buddhist sect wouldn’t help me remove them,” Xu Qi’an frowned.
The Censor-in-Chief’s gaze fell on him, saying: “Isn’t Shen Shu a member of the Buddhist sect?”
Xu Qi’an’s eyes suddenly lit up, as if grasping something, but still somewhat uncertain: “You mean…”
The Censor-in-Chief nodded: “Go gather Shen Shu’s scattered remains, complete his soul, and he will naturally remember how to undo the demon-sealing nails. This is also the condition for the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox to help you, which I’ve already agreed to on your behalf.
“You’ve stayed in the capital for so long, it’s time for you to go out and about.”
Xu Qi’an’s brow furrowed involuntarily, shaking his head and sighing:
“Censor-in-Chief, you’re putting me in a difficult position. Now that I’ve lost all my cultivation, leaving the capital would be like a lamb entering a tiger’s den. That unfilial dog Xu Pingfeng is probably drooling while waiting for me.
“Moreover, even if I could avoid him, without my cultivation, how can I collect Shen Shu’s remains?”
Most frustratingly, he didn’t even have the possibility of re-cultivating his martial arts.
To regain his cultivation, he needed to collect Shen Shu’s remains but to collect the remains, he needed his cultivation. This formed a vicious cycle.
Zhong Li came over, carefully reaching out to rub his head in comfort.
Xu Qi’an turned back to glare at her, and Senior Sister Zhong quickly explained weakly: “The medicine is ready, drink… drink your medicine…”
“Zhong Li, you’re his senior aunt, you don’t need to be so afraid of him,” the Censor-in-Chief smiled.
Zhong Li looked at Xu Qi’an, her eyes hidden behind messy hair strands brightening a bit.
Auntie, I’m your nephew… Xu Qi’an pouted. In the past, he would have teased Zhong Li, but now he wasn’t in the mood.
Collecting dragon qi, and gathering Shen Shu’s remains, were all extremely difficult tasks, yet he was now powerless.
At this moment, he heard the Censor-in-Chief laugh: “Opportunities have always been right beside you.”
As he finished speaking, the Censor-in-Chief stamped his foot, and array patterns instantly lit up, spreading out into a three-meter diameter formation.
Within the array, a figure appeared, wearing a light-colored short skirt, her hair styled in the current popular young girl’s fashion, with wheat-colored skin. Her face was pale, lips colorless, rolling on the ground in pain – it was Lina.
Seeing Lina in such a miserable state, both Xu Qi’an and Chu Caiwei were startled.
“What happened to her?”
Chu Caiwei exclaimed, her face showing anxiety.
The Censor-in-Chief glanced at his little disciple and said solemnly: “The consequences of eating recklessly.”
Chu Caiwei’s face froze, her small mouth slightly open, stunned in place.
The Censor-in-Chief withdrew his gaze with satisfaction and manipulated Lina to float in front of him. He inserted two fingers into Lina’s lower abdomen and extracted a jade-like insect, shaped like a scorpion with six jointed limbs.
Two black eyes on its head made it look somewhat cute.
It writhed frantically on the Censor-in-Chief’s fingertips for a moment before calming down.
This… she even eats things like this? At least remove the head… Chu Caiwei stepped back in shock, looking at Lina with a complex expression.
Blood flowed from Lina’s lower abdomen, but her expression suddenly relaxed, as if finding relief.
“What is this thing?”
Xu Qi’an frowned slightly, unsure if it was his imagination, but he felt that this strange insect was staring at him.
Moreover, the insect’s gaze gave the illusion of being full of wisdom.
The Censor-in-Chief examined the jade-colored insect and said:
“A completely new type of Gu worm, artificially cultivated. As for its name, we’ll have to ask this young lady.”
Southern Frontier Gu worms are divided into two types: one that has a name and normal population, capable of normal reproduction, similar to animals.
The other is artificially cultivated, a completely new species.
The latter usually cannot reproduce offspring and has no possibility of becoming a population.
The jade-colored insect in the Censor-in-Chief’s hand was the latter.
“It’s called the Seven Fatal Gu. Grandma Sky Gu gave it to me before I left the Southern Frontier. She said she foresaw that the fated person for the Seven Fatal Gu was in the Central Plains,”
Lina took a sip of water Chu Caiwei handed her, as well as some dried meat she shared, happily eating and talking:
“Grandma said this thing was very important, so to avoid losing it, I swallowed it into my stomach. It usually stays dormant in my body very quietly, but today for some reason, it suddenly became violent.”
After saying all that, she still hadn’t explained clearly what the Seven Fatal Gu was… Xu Qi’an complained internally.
The Censor-in-Chief held the insect and smiled: “Seven Fatal Gu, the name certainly fits the worm.”
He paused, then explained on behalf of Lina:
“The Gu clan has seven tribes, formed based on seven major schools, namely Sky Gu, Force Gu, Mind Gu, Emotion Gu, Medicine Gu, Shadow Gu, and Corpse Gu.
“Each Gu school has its area of expertise. This Seven Fatal Gu integrates all seven schools. It embodies the power of the entire Gu clan in one body.”
Lina nodded repeatedly: “Grandma Sky Gu said that her husband spent half his life refining it but still couldn’t complete it fully. Grandma spent twenty years to finally complete it. It’s an extremely powerful Gu.”
Integrating all seven Gu schools in one body? This is a good thing… Xu Qi’an stared at the jade-colored, scorpion-like Seven Fatal Gu and said:
“Its appearance doesn’t match its inner nature at all.”
The Censor-in-Chief shook his head: “It hasn’t fully awakened yet. Otherwise, this girl would have died earlier.”
Lina looked terrified.
“It’s yours now,”
The Censor-in-Chief tossed the Seven Fatal Gu in front of Xu Qi’an.
“For me?”
Xu Qi’an was stunned.
“Of course, it’s for you,” the Censor-in-Chief said with a half-smile: “Old Man Sky Gu and the rebellious disciple joined forces to steal a fortune, aiming to seal the Gu God. If I’m not mistaken, if the rebellious disciple obtained the fortune, he would have to bear the karma of sealing the Gu God.
“But what if he didn’t get the fortune? Old Man Sky Gu wouldn’t have overlooked this possibility, so he refined the Seven Fatal Gu. If the rebellious disciple didn’t get that fortune, then this karma would be transferred to you through the Seven Fatal Gu.
“You are the fated person Grandma Sky Gu spoke of.”
Xu Qi’an fell silent.
The Censor-in-Chief continued:
“By accepting the Seven Fatal Gu, you can possess extraordinary combat power in a short time. This way, you can travel the jianghu, gather dragon veins, search for Shen Shu’s remains, and remove the demon-sealing nails.
“Moreover, the Sky Gu tribe has the characteristic of ‘not being known’, which is a rare method in the world that can counter fortune-viewing techniques. It can help you avoid being tracked by Xu Pingfeng while you travel the jianghu.
“Your only threat is the Liuli Bodhisattva with her Traveler’s Dharma Body, and I’ve already driven her back to the Western Regions. Of course, you can also refuse this gift. No one will force you.”
Can I refuse? It’s my only hope now. In the face of an open strategy, all covert schemes are child’s play… Did the Censor-in-Chief lure away the female Bodhisattva from the Western Regions to pave the way for my journey through the jianghu? Ah, this old schemer makes me feel so secure… Various thoughts ran through Xu Qi’an’s mind.
However, he didn’t feel at a disadvantage. Using someone else’s things to do their bidding was only natural.
The Censor-in-Chief looked at him and said slowly: “Use your blood to acknowledge it as your master.”
Xu Qi’an remained silent for a long time, then shook his head: “I still have unfinished business. Give me one day.”